You can declare this:

SqlDataReader dr = null;

you can let the framework handle that though:

using(SqlConnection oConn = new SqlConnection("My Conn String"))
            using(SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("GetLogs", oConn))
            {
                cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
                cmd.Parameters.Add("@ID", SqlDbType.Int).Value = logID;
                using(SqlDataReader dr = cmd.ExecuteReader())
                {
                    if(dr.Read())
                        notes = dr["Notes"].ToString();
                }
            }

Yes you can declare it out side the try block:

Dim dr as datareader

Try
   dr = cmd.ExecuteReader();
Catch ex as SQlException

Finally
   dr.close
End try

You should also be closing that datareader in the finally section of your
exception handler.

Hi mimi,

You certainly CAN declare it outside the try scope. All you are declaring is
a variable, not a SqlDataReader. The variable is like a box to put the
SqlDataReader IN. You should also set it to null, and check for null when
you attempt to close it. And you should close it in the finally block, which
ALWAYS executes. Example:

public string GetLogs(int logID)

{

   string notes = String.Empty;

   SqlDataReader dr = null;

   try

   {

           SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("GetLogs", oConn);

           cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

           cmd.Parameters.Add("@ID",SqlDbType.Int).Value = logID;

           dr = cmd.ExecuteReader();

           if (dr.Read())

           {

                   notes = dr["Notes"].ToString();

           }

           dr.Close();

   }

   catch(SqlException ex)

   {
       ...
   }
   finally
   {
       if (dr != null)
           dr.Close()
       return notes;
   }

}